Cold Case – Glamorous ’60s stewardesses, early feminine uprisings and a murder

by Jackie Schnoop

Kathryn Morris as Lilly Rush on Cold Case

(Season 6, Episode 11 – “Wings”)

In a recent TV Shows Off the Beaten Path column, I showcased the CBS show Cold Case. Well, I found out that it wasn’t so much “off the beaten path” as some comments requested that we cover the show. You know that we here at CliqueClack TV listen to you, right? So here I am and I’m ready to fly, fly away with a review of tonight’s episode.

Now, we’re talking about 1960. While today’s airlines are often just another commuting tool, in 1960 air travel was glamorous, mainly for the wealthy and oh-so worldly indeed. As the episode opened, we were serenaded by Frank Sinatra’s version of “Come Fly With Me.” I looked it up. Okay, 1957 songs might still be playing in 196o, I guess. Watching the opening scenes made me think of that Leonardo DiCaprio film Catch Me if You Can. The same era, the same sort of quasi-celebrity placed on airlines folks. To be honest, I was nowhere near any airplanes in 1960, so I didn’t experience any of this glitz related to the industry. But it seems to have been there.

The case itself

The body of Allie Thurston, a TWA stewardess reported missing in 1960, was found in the Republic Hotel which is under rehab to be converted into condos. Oh, there’s a lot of finger-pointing as possible suspects think the boyfriend from home did it, the pilot did it, her want-to-be pilot love interest did it, or perhaps even a fellow stewardess did the evil deed.

I know there have been recent (past decade) rumblings about weight and flight attendants (no longer all female, no longer called stewardesses), but it’s nothing like it was back in 1960. Allie tended to make enemies fighting the powers that be over aging out at 32, weight carefully monitored, marriage not allowed, sexual harassment from male staff and lots of other sexist issues on the job. It definitely wasn’t a way to win friends and influence the higher-ups on the job.

In the end, even though the captain had a motive, the boyfriend from home had a motive and the wannabe promoted to pilot dude had a motive, it was a fellow stewardess doing her in. Yep, the epitome of a wayward misguided woman with such low esteem that she fell for the sexist pilot who would never leave his wife for her — Gloria did it. Allie, a feminist before her time, was about to send the captain’s world crashing down upon him by exposing his ne’er-do-well sleazy ways (as well as the unfair restrictions for stewardesses) and he just made a quick exit. He was outta there and onto the sexpots on another airline. Gloria, in her delusional fantasy of happily ever after, went bonkers all over Allie with a vintage telephone and that was that.

The befores and afters

Well, if I’m being truthful, Lee Majors doesn’t even look like Lee Majors anymore. But that aside, he looks even less like his younger character, the on board wannabe pilot on the show. The younger character has a totally different complexion, even to slightly swarthy (but not in a bad way, mind you). The eyes are a different color … at least they seemed different to me.

Another character — the Dr. McCormick, ex-stewardess one — was much more believable. She had the same sparkle in her eyes, the same high cheekbones. For me, the captain characters were a strike-out similar to Lee Majors. The older character had a slightly bulbous nose and narrowly-spaced beady eyes. Not so much with the younger character who was strikingly handsome although a sexist pig. Gloria, the killer queen, didn’t translate so well for me either. I guess people change a lot in 48 years, huh?

The perp walk

Ah, it’s schmaltz time! Old, young, vindicated, prosecuted, the walk goes on. We heard Frank once again, this time singing an even older song — “Someone to Watch Over Me.” Tied in with the walk are sentimental scenes of Allie’s souvenir statues as well as Lilly’s chess connection with her Dad. Oh yeah, she finally talked to her Dad. I can see that expanding in the future. No one on these shows has a basic plain ol’ upbringing. If they make her Dad take a huge role like they did with Jordan’s Dad on Crossing Jordan, I’ll cry foul.